She was twice recognized as a Hero of the Soviet Union, awarded the title of Honored Master of Sports and was never deprived of attention - her appearance in public was always delighted, as if she had some special attraction. And she herself was always attracted by the sky - so beautiful, dear and unlimited. The first woman in space exploration after Tereshkova to be a female astronaut who made her way into open outer space is Svetlana Savitskaya. The astronaut visited outer space during his second flight.
Childhood and youth
Svetlana was born on August 8, 1948 in the capital, in the family of a military commander, air marshal - Yevgeny Yakovlevich Savitsky. The family was dominated by discipline and order. Svetlana's mother Lidia Pavlovna served with her husband during the war years. And such circumstances somewhat determined the future hobbies of their daughter.
Savitskaya Svetlana Evgenievna received a certificate in 1966. After that, she was enrolled in the Moscow Aviation Institute. Having successfully defended the diploma (in 1972), she received the specialty of flight engineer. She combined her studies at the institute with the Kaluga Aviation Flight Technical School, where she subsequently received the qualification of a pilot instructor.
While still a high school student, she began to practice aerobatic sports and joined the current national team. Svetlana Savitskaya quickly gained experience and already in 1970 in England won the world championship in aerobatics in piston aircraft. She also managed to make three record parachute jumps from the stratosphere and make eighteen aviation flights on jet aircraft. And in 1970, she was already assigned the title of master of sports of the USSR.
Work as a pilot
After receiving the diploma, Svetlana Savitskaya worked for some time as an instructor pilot, while receiving additional qualifications as a test pilot. In 1976, she began to work in the Scientific Production Association "Rise". And a little later, already having considerable experience, as a test pilot at the Speed engineering plant in the city of Moscow. In August 1980, Svetlana was delegated to the cosmonauts, and a little later she was appointed astronaut-researcher from the "Speed".
"Cosmic Road"
On July 17, 1984, Soyuz T-12 took off from Baikonur station, the crew of which were three experienced astronauts, among them Svetlana Savitskaya. A photo taken shortly before takeoff is still stored in the archive of the Baikonur Cosmodrome. In orbit, for the first time, such a large group of pioneer testers with high qualifications was noticed, the purpose of which was to conduct the necessary experiments in various fields of scientific activity.
The "space squad", which included Savitskaya, was supposed to conduct a series of activities to monitor human health, well-being and the state of the body as a whole in a space environment, to obtain more reliable information about a person’s adaptation to weightlessness. During the flight, the researchers conducted relevant experiments that helped to identify various kinds of deviations in the functioning of the organs of hearing, vision, and the cardiovascular system, to determine the degree of endurance of a person in the space environment and his susceptibility to excessive weakness, lethargy under conditions of work in space. Savitskaya Svetlana Evgenievna also monitored the impact of the open space environment on materials that were used in the construction of various kinds of technical structures.
The main task of the team, however, was to enter outer space. And on July 25, 1984, together with Vladimir Dzhanibekov, Stavitskaya left the Salyut-7 station and launched into outer space. They also conducted a unique experiment, which consisted in the use of a widely universal hand tool designed for work in space. This device was equipped with an electronic power supply, four tablets, a control panel, including switches for possible operating modes. Ultimately, the flight engineer of the Soyuz T-12 spacecraft carried out the following operations - cutting, soldering, sputtering and welding.
Return to Earth
The stay in flight of the "space team" lasted for twelve days. On July 29, 1984, they safely returned to Earth. The leading crew specialists decided to continue their usual work in orbit, preparing for the next spacewalk. Svetlana Savitskaya, meanwhile, demonstrated the success of the implementation in space of those “earthly” works, which were usually carried out in the usual factory workshop. It was only necessary to show appropriate dexterity and be prepared for any situation.
Political activity Savitskaya
In politics, Savitskaya became a prominent figure in the late 1980s and then, in 1989, became a People's Deputy of the USSR, as well as a member of the Supreme Council of the USSR. She was a member of the Communist Party. In 1993, she nominated her persona in the elections to the State Duma of the 1st convocation, but failed. At the end of December 1995, Svetlana Savitskaya was elected to the 3rd convocation and rejoined the faction of the Communist Party. In 2003, 2007 and 2011 she was again elected the acting deputy of the State Duma from the Communist Party. Now she is the deputy chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly Commission on Security, Defense and the Fight against Crime.
Finally
The second female cosmonaut after Valentina Tereshkova was Svetlana Savitskaya. Her biography is filled with significant events. She ended her career in 1993 (with the rank of major) in connection with a well-deserved retirement. Svetlana Evgenievna was awarded many titles and awards, behind her shoulders - access to outer space, a large number of observations and experiments, teaching.